Thermometer



Patented Dec. 19, 1922.

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HERBERT '1. MILKnn, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR ro CHARLES J.

rnenrnnun MANUFACTURING ea, or BROOKLYN, New YORK, a. conrona- TION or NEW roan.

THEBMOMETER.

" Application filed. July as,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT P. MILKER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thermometers, of which the followin is a specification.

lily invention relates to thermometers and has for its object the provision of an efficient and serviceable thermometer which may be produced at a minimum cost and which in its finished form presents an attractive and pleasing appearance. Other more specific objects will appear from the description hereinafter and the, features of novelty will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which, without defining the limits of the invention illustrate a specific embodiment thereof. Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the thermometer; Fig. 2 is a rear elevation; and Fig. 3 is a side view thereof.

In the illustrated form the thermometer comprises a back .5 which ,is constructed of pasteboard or other similar cheap material and has its front face suitably embellished or ornamented to present an attractive appearance. For instance, said front face may be covered with what iscommonly known as Japanese wood veneer to give to the back the appearance 'ofbeing made of finely grained wood or said front face may be otherwise treated to simulate other materials as desired. A suitable, scale 6 is produced upon" thefront face of said back 5 in any suitable manner and in proper co-operative relation to. the usual tube 7 which terminates at one end in the customary bulb 8 and is fastened to the back 5 in any convenient way as'by means of wires 9 which pass around said tube and through the back and have their ends twisted together as shown in Fig. 2.

Because of the fact that the pasteboard or other cheap material of which the back 5 is constructed has very little inherent rigidity of its own, said back is easily bent, flexed and even broken transversely of its length and thus by itself affords little protection to the tube 7 against being snapped or broken in two. In other words, a bending or breaking of the back 5 will, unless provision is made to obviate this contingency, fracture 1919. Serial No. 313,558.

the tube 7 for instance at some point between the fastening wires 9. To overcome this danger and to prevent the transverse flexing and breaking of the back or in other words to stiffen the same, a stiffening device is provided preferably so as to be, for at least the major part, invisible from the front of the thermometer. In the illustrated example this stiffening device comprises a wire 10 which extends lengthwise of the back 5 in surface contact with the rear face thereof and is bent into rig-nag or equivalent form at an intermediate point as indicated at 11, to include withinits stiffening'efi'ect, a maximum area of the Luck 5 at the region where its tendency to bend and break is greatest. The stiffening wire 10 is preferably secured in place by the fastening wires 9 which pass about the same as shown in Fig. 2 and in such case, in ad ition to its other functions, serves to prevent said wires 9 from being pulled or torn thron the same time makesunnecessary the use of separate means for accomplishing this purpose. The section 11 of the stiffening device 10, by reason of its form, prevents the wire 10 from turning about its axis and becoming displaced relatively to the back and thereby producing a strain upon the fastening wires 9 tending to loosen the same.

.x-is shown in the drawings, the stiffening device 10 is preferably continued at its one end, beyond the back 5. in the form of an eyelet 12 whereby said thermometer may be suspended. andwherehy the necessity for a se iarate fastenin dcrice is obviated. At its other end d device or wire 10 is pi'efe .bly bent over the edge ofthe back 5 to form a recess 13' for the accommodation thereof and preferably continued in the form ofan upwardly protecting guard 14 located in the front of and in registry with the bulb 8 of the tube 7 which is thus protected, in the usual manner, against injury and whereby the necessity for a separate guard for this purpose, is done away with;

The thermometer in its illustrated form gh the back 5, and at.

is reduced to the utmost simplicity and retractive appearance far beyond anything suggested by the cost at which it may be produced and purchased.

The back 5 instead of being made of pasteboard may be constructed of any other fibrous material or of any other suitable substance which is cheap and the inherent resistance of which against bending, or flexing, or even against actual breakage, is relatively slight.

While the device 10 is intended primarily for combination wit-h backs 5 of the type described to stiffen the same, said device in addition constitutes a combined suspending device whereby the thermometer may be cfliciently suspended and a bulb guard wliereby the guard of the bulb of the thermometer tube is efliciently protected against injury. In this sense, said device may be readily and easily combined with backs having suiiicient inherent rigidity of their own to make the stiffening function of the device unnecessary or secondary and to make it useful simply as a suspending device and a bulb guard. In other words, in addition to its other functions, said device may be utilized advantageously as a combined suspending device and bulb guard and for this purpose may be combined with any type of back.

Various changes in the specific form shown and described may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

1 claim:

l. A thermometer comprising a back of pasteboard, a thermometer tube upon one face thereof, means passing through said back for securing said tube in position therein and a stiffening device wherebysaid back is stiffened against flexing and whereby said tube fastening means are prevented from being torn out of said back.

2. A thermometer comprising a back capable of being readily flexed, a thermometer tube tern'iinating at one end in a bulb and. secured noon said back, a stifl'ening device cutending length wise of the rear surface of said back to stiffen thesame against flexing, a suspending device located beyond one end of said back and comprising an integral continuation of said stiffening device at one end andv a bulb guard located in registry with said bulb and comprising an integral continuation of said stiffening device at the other end.

3. A thermometer comprising a back capable of being readily flexed, a thermometer tube extending lengthwise of the front surface of said back, a stiffening wire extending lengthwise of the rear surface thereof to stiffen said back against flexing,

said wire extending transversely of its length in opposite directions at an intermediate. point to include a maximum area of said back within its stiffening effect, an eyelet located beyond one end of said back and comprising an integral extension of said stifiening wire; a bulb guard located in registry with said bulb and comprising an integral forward and upward extension of said stiffening wire and fastening devlces passlng about said tube through said back and about said stiffening wire to secure the latter and said tube in position on said back and to be held thereby against tearing through the latter. t i

a. A thermometer comprising a back, a

tube extending lengthwise of saidback and terminating at one end in a bulb, a device COlllPllSlng an element separate from said ing device, said member, at its other end,

being provided with a return member forming a recess for the reception of said back and projecting over the front facethereof to form a bulbguard.

(3, A thermometer comprising a back capable of being readily flexed, a thermometer tubesecuredupon said back and a stiffening wire extending lengthwise of said back to sti'ilien the sameagainst flexing, said wire having a zig-zag intermediate portion projecting transversely beyond its major axis in opposite directimis to include a maximum area of said back within its stiffening effect.

7. A therminneter comprising a sheet-like back capable o 1' being readily flexed, a thermometer tube terminating at one end in a bulb and secured upon the front surface of saide back, a stiffening wire extending lengthwise of the rear surface of said back to stiffen-the same against flexing and a bulb guard comprising an integral continuation of said stiffening wire at its lower end and projecting upwardly in front of said back in registry with said bulb.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand. HERBERT P. MILKER.

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